Electric clock setting device



A ril 10, 1934. w, J, ALms 1,954,660

ELECTRIC CLOCK SETTING DEVICE Filed June 24, 1930 InventorI v William J, Aldls, y MW His A ctorneg.

Patented Apr. 10, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CLOCK sar'rmc DEVICE William J. Aldis, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Warren Telechron Company, a corporation of Maine Application June 24, 1930, Serial No. 463,528

In Canada October 28, 1929 6 Claims.

My invention relates to means for setting clocks and particularly to means for setting clocks which are provided with an indicator for giving an indication that an abnormal condition has existed.

In clocks driven by electric motors, such as the self-starting synchronous motor disclosed in United States Patent 1,546,269, July 14, 1925 to Henry E. Warren, the correct time will be indicated by the clock if the frequency of the supply source is maintained constant and the current is not interrupted. If the current is interrupted the clock hands are not driven during that period. When the current is restored the motor again starts and the clock will be slow by an amount equal to the period of time ofthe interruption. It is known to provide an indicator which is actuated to an indicating or alarm position upon failure of the current supply and remains in the alarm position irrespective of the resumption of the current supply till it is manually reset. Such an indicator is described in United States Patent 1,615,664, January 25, 1927 to Henry E. Warren. Upon noticing the indicator in alarm position it will be apparent to the owner that at some time the current has been interrupted and that the clock does not indicate the correct time and should be reset. When the clock hands are reset the indicator should also be manually operated to the non-indicating or clear position.

It is an object of my invention to provide a means whereby when the operator resets the hands of the clock the indicator will be removed from the alarm to the clear position without a separate operation being required, thus avoiding the possibility of the resetting of the alarm being forgotten with consequent confusion and uncertainty as to whether the clock indicates the correct time.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a resetting device whereby the hands of the clock and the indicator may be set by a single operation performed from outside the clock in a convenient manner.

Further advantages and improvements will become apparent as the specification proceeds and features of my invention which are novel will be pointed out in the appended claims.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view on a scale smaller than the remaining drawing of a clock equipped with my resetting means; Fig. 2 is a front view with the clock dial removed; Fig. 3 is a perspective rear view of the part shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of the signal setting parts after being reset.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a clock dial having hands 2 driven by a motor 3 and having a resetting device 4.

A main supporting plate 5 is provided by which the motor assembly is supported and by which it may be attached to a suitable casing and clock dial. The driving motor 3 is of the self-starting synchronous type, for a more complete description of which reference is made to the aforementioned Patent No. 1,546,269. The motor is mounted on the plate 5 by a pair of bolts 9 having spacing sleeves 10 and 11.

The motor includes a laminated stator 6 having field winding 7 thereon. A closed casing 8 has a reduced portion not clearly shown projecting between the poles of the stator and the casing contains a rotor in the reduced portion and suitable gearing in the enlarged portion. As the particular motor structure forms no part of my invention, it is sufficient to state that on the application of alternating current to the field winding 7 the motor drives a train of reducing gears indicated generally at 12 for the purpose of driving the minute and hour hands of the clock.

A plate 13 is secured in position by being clamped between the heads of the bolts 9 and the sleeves 11. This plate has a portion 14 bent at right angles to it. Journalled in the plates 5 and 13 is a shaft 15 on which is secured at one end a disc 16 arranged to be visible through an opening 19 in the clock face. The position of this opening is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The disc has one section indicated at 17 in Fig. 2 colored red, while the remaining portion indicated at 18 is differently colored, preferably white. On the other end of the shaft 15 is secured a member 20. Intermediate the ends of the shaft and located in proximity to the stator 6 is secured a magnetic member 21. This magnetic member is designed, proportioned and located with respect to the stator of the motor, that the attraction of the stator when the field coil is energized is not suflicient to move it from the position which it has normally assumed due to gravity. In this position of the magnetic member the red portion of the disc is visible through the observation opening in the face of the clock and the member 20 lies in the position shown in Fig. 3. Rotation of the shaft to a second position in which the White portion of the disc is opposite the observation opening and the member 20 is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 brings the magnetic member 21 to such a position with respect to the stator that if the motor is energized the attraction on the magnetic member is suflicient to retain it in that mechanically unbalanced position.

Journalled in the plates 5 and 13 is a shaft 22, on the outer end of which is a gear 23 forming one of of the train of gears 12, by which the clock hands are driven from the motor. It will be understood that the shaft may be rotated for purposes of setting the hands. On the other end of the shaft 22 is secured a bevel gear 24. The construction so far described with the exception of the member 20 on the rear end of the shaft 15 is known.

The construction of the illustrated setting mechanism is as follows: Secured to the lower part of the portion 14 of the rear plate 13 is a pair of guide sleeves 25 and 26. Mounted in the sleeve 25 is a rod 27 having bevel gear 28 adapted in an upper position to engage the bevel gear 24 for rotation thereof. Secured against longitudinal movement on the rod is a collar 29. Between the collar 29 and the sleeve 25 is located a spring 30. The rod 27 is shown broken in Figs. 2 and 3 and is of sufiicient length to extend beyond the casing of the clock as indicated in Fig. 1. On the end of the rod is knurled nut 31. To set the hands the rod is pushed upwardly against the tension of the spring till the bevel gears engage and then rotated.

Arranged to slide in the sleeve 26 is a rod 32. Secured to the lower end of this rod as by means of the pair of nuts shown is a cross arm 33, the other end of which is secured between the collar 29 and a second collar 34 also secured against longitudinal movement.

The operation of my invention is as follows: If at any time the red signal indicates that the clock has at some time been stopped it is desired to reset the clock, the rod 27 is moved endwise and upwardly against the pressure of the spring 30 till the bevel gears 28 and 24 engage. The shaft 22 is then rotated the required amount by turning knurled nut 31. The member 20 will be in the position indicated in Fig. 3. As the rod 27 is raised the rod 32 also rises and engages the member 20 moving it nearly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. This as explained rotates the magnetic member 21 to the position where it is attracted if the motor is energized and the red signal is rotated from view as indicated in Fig. 1.

Heretofore it has been necessary in resetting the magnetic indicator for the operator to insert his hand behind the clock and turn it. This has been inconvenient particularly with large wall clocks or those located in out of the way places. The result has been that the setting of the indicator has often been neglected. My construction assures that when the clock hands are reset that the signal is also simultaneously automatically reset by the same operation and without requiring separate operation or further attention by the operator.

Other arrangements of the clock hand and signal resetting mechanism, which will accomplish the desired results simultaneously, will occur to those skilled in the art; The signal instead of being of the visual type may be of an audible type or it may be both visual and audible. For example, the member 21 may close the circuit of an electric bell 40 when in the signal indicating posiiton as indicated in Fig. 2.

Such other modifications as will occur to those skilled in the art for accomplishing the desired results as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. An electrically-actuated clock, a source of supply therefor, a signal device actuated in 'response to a failure in said source of supply for thereafter indicating such failure and common manual means for resetting the clock and indicator after the source of supply is restored.

2. A clock comprising hands, an electric motor driving mechanism for driving the hands, a signal restrained in one position by the magnetic attraction of the motor, a single manual means movable to engage in driving relation with the driving mechanism and to actuate the signal within the influence of the motor, said means having a rotary part for setting the hands to any desired position.

3. A clock comprising hands, an electric motor driven mechanism for driving the hands, a signal device comprising a shaft having secured thereto a signal visible from the front of the clock, a dog of magnetic material located in proximity to the motor, and a lever, a manual hand setting member movable to driving engagement with the motor driven mechanism, a branch extending from the setting member into proximity to the lever whereby on movement of the setting member to driving engagement with the motor driven mechanism the lever is engaged by the branch and the shaft rotated to bring the magnetic dog within the influence of the motor.

4. A clock comprising a frame, a bevel gear mounted for rotation to set the hands of the clock, a signal device which assumes one position when the clock has been stopped, a pair of sleeves secured to the frame, a rod having a bevel gear at the end slidable in one sleeve to engage the other bevel gear, a second rod slidable in the other sleeve and secured to the first rod, said second rod being located so as to operate the signal member from said one position when the first rod is moved to mesh the bevel gears.

5. A clock comprising clock hands, an electric motor and gearing between said motor and hands whereby the hands are driven by the motor, manual means normally disengaged from driving relation with said gearing but adapted to be moved into driving relation therewith and then rotated for setting said hands to any position, a signal having means for holding it in one position when the motor is energized but movable to a different position when the motor is deenergized and means for moving said signal from the second mentioned to the first mentioned position when the hand setting means is moved into driving relation with said gearing.

6. A clock, a self-starting synchronous motor for driving said clock, a source of alternating current supply therefor, a signal device normally biased to an indicating position but arranged to be held in a non-indicating position when moved thereto when the motor is energized, said signal device serving to indicate the occurrence of a failure in the source of supply until reset to the non-indicating position, and manual hand setting means for said clock normally disengaged from driving relation with the clock and adapted, when moved into driving relation with the clock preliminary to setting the clock, to move said signal device from the indicating to the nonindicating position.

WILLIAM J. ALDIS. 

